Step by Step for recipe, please....

[CKH1]

Hello all!

Yes, right of the bat, I am a NOOB in the field of homebrewing. However during the day I am a scientist.

After reading and studying a lot of the threads and posting some in here, I am ready to start, well almost. I found this recipe that I want to attempt for my first batch, however I don't understand the instructions/steps/methods. I have seen other recipes that take you by the hand and lead you through the process in detailed steps. Even the methodologies I used in the lab are more detailed and easy to follow. But maybe it is just because I am a noob and not familiar with some of the shorthand brewing methodologies.
So enough of my BS'ing.

Can someone that has been homebrewing for years, decades...centuries assist me with the step by step for this recipe?
I would greatly appreciate it. I hope it is not too much to ask.

I do have some idea of how and when and where, but would like someone to "spell it out" for me in detail so I don't F UP my first batch.

The recipe is a CARLSBERG HOF clone, which was found on this website.
(we are a bunch of Danes in the lab and miss our Danish Pilsner!)
My local brew shop has all the ingredients except for the Danish Yeast, which is in transit. I have all the equipment needed.
All I need now is a detailed step by step, so I don't make complete swill my first time around. Any an all help in this I would greatly appreciate.
Thanks. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me. Any suggestions or comments?

The recipe is below:

Re: Carlsberg Clone
by tazman67 on Wednesday Jul 16, 2008 6:01 pm

From "Brew Classic European Beers At Home.
Graham Wheeler and Roger Protz (12/1995)

CARLSBERG HOF

OG 1041
Plato 10.2

23 Litres
Pilsner Malt 3220g
Carapils 240g
White Sucrose 470g

Hallertau 35g 90min
Irish moss 10g 15min

Brewing method
Temperature-stepped infusion or double-decoction mash. Can do this as a 2 step mash or a simple infusion mash.

Mash Schedule 50c-20min
66c-45min
72c-45min

Boil time 90min
Racking gravity 1006 1.5 Plato
Alcohol content 4.7% by volume 3.8 by weight
Bitterness 23 EBU
Colour 5 EBC
Ferment at 10-15C, lager at 10C

Malt extract
Replace Pilsner Malt with Pale Malt 2500g

Yeast Wyeast 2042 Danish Lager yeast would be my choice.

 

[chickypad]

This is a somewhat advanced recipe with several mash steps, you are prepared to start with all grain and have the equipment? Or are you planning to do the extract option. In that case the directions will be different.
Also, you have some plan for temp control to ferment at lager temps? If so, what is your set-up?

 

[cabal09]

This is a somewhat advanced recipe with several mash steps, you are prepared to start with all grain and have the equipment? Or are you planning to do the extract option. In that case the directions will be different.
Also, you have some plan for temp control to ferment at lager temps? If so, what is your set-up?

+1. Everything he said and why are you going to switch out the pilsner malt for pale?

 

[CKH1]

I am planning on doing the extract version and I am not going to switch out the pilsner malt. Yes, I have a refrigerator and a small wine cooler I can use.

 

[chickypad]

Just checking, you mean you are going to go with the pale extract and not try to find pilsner extract to replace the pilsner malt with, right? You only use the pilsner malt if you are going all grain.

You may want to get your hands on a basic brew book like How To Brew by Palmer. The free online version is an older version but still good. To spell it out, the following are pretty much the basic steps for extract with specialty grains:
1) steep the specialty grains in a bag in 150-160 deg water for about 30 min (for you this is just the carapils. With carapils I don’t think you get many gravity pts without a mash, but maybe some head retention/body)
2) Remove bag of grains, bring just to boiling.
3) Turn off flame temporarily and add your extract (when the recipe says to replace the 3220g pilsner malt with 2500g Pale, looks like they mean LME rather than DME –that would be equivalent gravity). Bring water back to a boil. Note, you can add all the extract at this point but to research this more look up late extract additions. It involves adding a portion of extract late in the boil, e.g. with 15 min to go. I would recommend it for a light beer like this.
4) Once boiling (watch for boil over!) start your clock. This recipe calls for 90 min boil.
5) add your Hallertau with 90 in to go
6) add your Irish moss with 15 min to go
7) around 10-15 min to go add your sucrose
8) when the timer reaches 0 cut the flame. You will now need to cool – ice bath or chiller if you have one.
9) Transfer to fermenter, pitch your yeast.

Notes: With a lager yeast you really should do a starter. See MrMalty.com for details. You should read up on pitch temp and fermentation temp control, as well as proper lagering techniques (sorry I don’t brew lagers, can’t help you much with practical experience). Also read about techniques for oxygenating prior to or just after adding yeast.
Water volumes: If your pot isn’t big enough to do full boil (23 L plus loss to evaporation plus a little extra for loss with trub) then you need to do a partial boil. This is boiling the biggest volume you can with the instructions above, then topping off with water in the fermenter to reach 23 L. I would definitely recommend the late extract technique with partial boil.

Hope that at least gets you started!

 

[CKH1]

Chickypad,
That was exactly what i was hoping for, thanks!
I will use these step by step instructions and also reference the sources you mentioned.
The recipe does not state the amount of Danish lager yeast? or approximate days of fermentation? ( I am assuming I should keep an eye on the SG(OG/FG) and when it doesn't change significantly or at all over a few days, it is done and I can bottle)
any ideas or suggestions?

What would I do if I did use the Pilsner Malt instead of the Pale Malt extract?

Thank you again for your help and assistance.

 

[chickypad]

The pilsner malt is a base malt and needs to be mashed to get fermentables from it. So you would need to do all grain or partial mash. Mashing is really just steeping at a specific temp and water-to-grain ratio, but requires more attention to things like water pH/chemistry and temp control. It usually also involves more equipment, but there are ways around that such as BIAB (brew in a bag technique).
You might want to see if you can find pilsner extract - generally made from pilsner malt rather than 2-row/pale so would be closer to your recipe. It can be harder to get your hands on though.

When I plug your specs into Mrmalty it recommends 2 vials/smackpacks of liquid yeast if you are not going to do a starter. You are correct that a stable FG is the way to tell when fermentation is done. That being said, remember I don't brew lagers. You may want to search more on fermentation times, etc. Some lager recipes recommend a diacetyl rest (i.e. bringing the temp up for a period of time after primary fermentation and before lagering). I think you also want to bulk age lager in a vessel, rather than in bottles - again don't go by me on this!
Good luck and welcome to the obsession!


p.s. cabal09 - I'm a girl


BIG EDIT: I just realized I think I read Mrmalty wrong. It says 3.6 packs yeast without starter. That's a lot! Not used to lagers. You should read about starters or this is going to get expensive.

 

[cabal09]

The pilsner malt is a base malt and needs to be mashed to get fermentables from it. So you would need to do all grain or partial mash. Mashing is really just steeping at a specific temp and water-to-grain ratio, but requires more attention to things like water pH/chemistry and temp control. It usually also involves more equipment, but there are ways around that such as BIAB (brew in a bag technique).
You might want to see if you can find pilsner extract - generally made from pilsner malt rather than 2-row/pale so would be closer to your recipe. It can be harder to get your hands on though.

When I plug your specs into Mrmalty it recommends 2 vials/smackpacks of liquid yeast if you are not going to do a starter. You are correct that a stable FG is the way to tell when fermentation is done. That being said, remember I don't brew lagers. You may want to search more on fermentation times, etc. Some lager recipes recommend a diacetyl rest (i.e. bringing the temp up for a period of time after primary fermentation and before lagering). I think you also want to bulk age lager in a vessel, rather than in bottles - again don't go by me on this!
Good luck and welcome to the obsession!


p.s. cabal09 - I'm a girl

BIG EDIT: I just realized I think I read Mrmalty wrong. It says 3.6 packs yeast without starter. That's a lot! Not used to lagers. You should read about starters or this is going to get expensive.

My bad

 

[cabal09]

BIG EDIT: I just realized I think I read Mrmalty wrong. It says 3.6 packs yeast without starter. That's a lot! Not used to lagers. You should read about starters or this is going to get expensive.[/QUOTE]

I brew alot of Lagers, the best way is to start at ale temps, once fermentation kicks off drop it SLOWLY to the recommended fermentation temp. Once you have reached your FG the raise back up to ale temps for 24 to 48 hours. Then I cold crash for about a week, then I transfer to kegs and lager for a couple of months. It's not hard, but it takes alot longer.

 

[chickypad]

My bad

Just kidding around. I know we're the minority.
Glad you can help out the OP with some better lagering advice.

 

[cabal09]

Just kidding around. I know we're the minority.
Glad you can help out the OP with some better lagering advice.

Not a problem, just paying it forward.

 

[CKH1]

Looks like I will most likely stick with a Pilsner Malt extract (DME or LME) to start with, just looks easier at this point. I am sure an all-grain recipe will taste better in the end, but for now we will just keep it simple with the extract method.
I can get my hands on Pilsner DME and LME.
Which is best? LME or DME? any specific manufacturers you recommend?
Thank you again for all your help and assistance, this noob homebrewer really appreciates it.
My lab will smell like a brewery this weekend!

 

[chickypad]

DME and LME each have their own pros and cons. LME has a shorter shelf life and should probably be refrigerated (can grow mold). It can be harder to get out of the container. DME is easier to store and weigh out, harder to mix in and can be a sticky clumpy mess sometimes. I think some say that LME is more likely to cause "extract twang" but personally I think it has to do with the age/quality of the extract. If your LHBS is not a high volume place you may want to get it from a larger store to ensure it's not old and is good quality (not to criticize the little guys - I try to support local stores when I can!).

You can also do a mix of both - add the DME at beginning of boil and liquid with 15 min to go. Note that DME will give you more gravity points than LME so you need to adjust the amounts. Rule of thumb is you multiply the grain weight by .75 to get equivalent LME and by .6 to get DME.

Let us know how it turns out!

 

[helibrewer]

In addition, since you are doing this as an extract and not all-grain you can reduce the boil time down to 60 minutes instead of 90....there is not a DMS problem with extract. Pilsner Base Malt grain is pretty famous for DMS so those all-grain recipes usually call for a 90 minute boil to reduce/eliminate it.

If you are doing a partial boil be sure to mix your post boil water and wort very well before taking your OG reading....it's very common for stratification to occur with the significant difference in temp and gravity of the boiled wort and top off water.

 

[chickypad]

In addition, since you are doing this as an extract and not all-grain you can reduce the boil time down to 60 minutes instead of 90....there is not a DMS problem with extract. Pilsner Base Malt grain is pretty famous for DMS so those all-grain recipes usually call for a 90 minute boil to reduce/eliminate it.

Good point. A shorter boil might help avoid darkening/carmelization with extract, and this is a pretty light beer.

 

[Yooper]

I brew alot of Lagers, the best way is to start at ale temps, once fermentation kicks off drop it SLOWLY to the recommended fermentation temp. Once you have reached your FG the raise back up to ale temps for 24 to 48 hours. Then I cold crash for about a week, then I transfer to kegs and lager for a couple of months. It's not hard, but it takes alot longer.

I brew alot of lagers, too, and I disagree about the "best way". I don't pitch my ales at 85 degrees and lower to 65 degrees, and I don't pitch my lagers 20 degrees too warm either!

I like to cool my wort to 48 degrees, and pitch a HUGE quantity of yeast (about twice as much for lagers as ales) at 46 degrees and then allow the temperature to rise up to 50-52 degrees during fermentation. This gives a super clean lager that usually doesn't even need a diacetyl rest (but it doesn't hurt to do one as a matter of course). I then rack and lager for 1 week per every 8-10 points of OG (usually 6-8 weeks) at 34 degrees.

 

[cabal09]

I brew alot of lagers, too, and I disagree about the "best way". I don't pitch my ales at 85 degrees and lower to 65 degrees, and I don't pitch my lagers 20 degrees too warm either!

I like to cool my wort to 48 degrees, and pitch a HUGE quantity of yeast (about twice as much for lagers as ales) at 46 degrees and then allow the temperature to rise up to 50-52 degrees during fermentation. This gives a super clean lager that usually doesn't even need a diacetyl rest (but it doesn't hurt to do one as a matter of course). I then rack and lager for 1 week per every 8-10 points of OG (usually 6-8 weeks) at 34 degrees.

Thats the best thing about this hobby, you have your way that works for you and I have mine. I have tried both ways and they both work great.